Authentication Based On Geo-Location History

• US 20080146193A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: O'Gorman, Lawrence, Skiba, David Joseph, Bentley, Jon Louis, Erhart, George William, Sammon, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for authenticating a user based on the geo-location history of a geo-location-enabled wireless device (e.g., a GPS-enabled wireless telecommunications terminal, a smart card, an RFID tag, etc.). In a first illustrative embodiment, a user of a geo-location-enabled wireless telecommunications terminal (e.g., a GPS-enabled cell phone, a GPS-enabled notebook computer, etc.) who attempts to access a restricted resource is challenged with one or more questions that are generated from the terminal'"'"'s geo-location history. In a second illustrative embodiment, a user of a data-processing system who attempts to access a restricted resource is asked to provide a username Z. The user is then challenged with one or more questions that are generated from the geo-location history of a wireless device that is associated with username Z (e.g., a cell phone that belongs to the user whose username is Z, etc.).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a response to an authentication challenge, wherein said response is provided by a user, and wherein said authentication challenge comprises a question about said user'"'"'s geo-location history; and

determining whether said user is successfully authenticated based on how consistent said response is with the geo-location history of a wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said user provides said response via said wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said response specifies a time t₁, and wherein the determination whether said user is successfully authenticated is based on the difference between said time t₁ and a time t₂ that is obtained from the geo-location history of said wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said response specifies a geo-location L₁, and wherein the determination whether said user is successfully authenticated is based on the distance between said geo-location L₁ and a geo-location L₂ that is obtained from the geo-location history of said wireless device.

5. A method comprising:

receiving a response to an authentication challenge, wherein said response is provided by a user, and wherein said authentication challenge comprises a question about the geo-location history of said user; and

determining whether said user is successfully authenticated based on how consistent said response is with the geo-location history of a particular person.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said user provides said response via a wireless device that is associated with said particular person.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said response specifies a direction D₁, and wherein the determination whether said user is successfully authenticated is based on the difference between said direction D₁ and a direction D₂ that is obtained from the geo-location history of said particular person.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said response specifies a speed S₁, and wherein the determination whether said user is successfully authenticated is based on the difference between said speed S₁ and a speed S₂ that is obtained from the geo-location history of said particular person.

9. A method comprising transmitting to a wireless device an authentication challenge that is based on a geo-location history of said wireless device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said authentication challenge asks for a time at which the user of said wireless device was present at a particular geo-location.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said authentication challenge asks for a geo-location at which the user of said wireless device was present at a particular time.

12. A method comprising transmitting an authentication challenge to a telecommunications terminal that belongs to a user U, wherein said authentication challenge is based on a geo-location history of a wireless device that belongs to said user U.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said authentication challenge inquires about a direction of travel at a particular time.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said authentication challenge inquires about a speed of travel at a particular time.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said authentication challenge asks whether or not a particular geo-location was visited during a particular time interval.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said authentication challenge inquires about the most recent time that a particular geo-location was visited.

15. A method comprising generating an authentication challenge based on a geo-location history of a wireless device.

18. A method comprising:

presenting an authentication challenge that inquires about a user'"'"'s geo-location history; and

receiving a response to said authentication challenge.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said authentication challenge inquires about a route taken during a prior time interval.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said authentication challenge inquires about one or both of a maximum speed and an average speed during a prior time interval.